Left Naked at the Library Pt. 01

Left Naked at the Library

Part One

by G. Lawrence

Frat brothers coerce a college nerd to do their homework

Author's Note: Having been a short, introverted chess player when I began college (quite some time ago), I was an unlikely candidate to pledge a powerful blue-collar jock fraternity. I was on Dean's List my freshman semester, though that never happened again. I had never drunk alcohol or taken drugs. That changed, too. On Hell Night, I was separated from my clothes. So, this is a fantasy based on a number of true incidents. Some happened to me, others I just heard about, and a few are invented. Don't bother analyzing it. There is nudity in this chapter and mild sex in the next chapter. All characters are over 18 years old.

* * * * * *

The three frat guys appeared in the late afternoon. Danny was at his usual spot in the library, buried in the corner on the third floor. A quiet section inhabited by math majors. Of which Midvale Valley College had very few.

"Still studying?" Jack Winston said. Like his two friends, he was a tall jock whose intramural sports included basketball, soccer, and flag football. With blond hair and blue eyes, he looked very Nordic.

"You were already here this morning," Collyer Rimstone mocked, red-haired and green-eyed. Very Irish. "Do you even take a lunch break?"

"We keep trying to get your attention," Simon Brewster complained, a trim black-haired racquetball player with Popeye arms. "Don't you like us?"

"I'm sorry," Danny answered, looking up from the desktop computer. "I don't want to be rude. This is my midterm report."

"What is it this time? Stopping the moon from falling on the Earth?" Jack asked.

"I'm a theoretical physicist, not an astronomer," Danny replied. "It questions if metaphysical phenomena can be balanced by mathematical theorems."

"Whatever the hell that means," Jack dismissed. "Look, we've got book reports to turn in and no time to do them. We want your help."

"Tutoring?" Danny said.

"No," Collyer corrected. "We want you to write them for us."

"And they need to be good," Simon added.

Danny tried not to laugh. At 5'4 and barely a hundred pounds, with badly cut brown hair and shy brown eyes, he wasn't close to the three guys in stature or good looks. But he was smarter.

"You think that's funny?" Collyer asked with a frown.

"First of all, it's cheating," Danny said. "And if I write your reports for you, the professors will know. You'll get caught."

"We don't see it that way," Jack disagreed. "You see, we know you've also been doing creative writing on the side. Do you know the stories we mean?"

Danny looked down, blushing. "Those stories are just fantasies," he defended.

"Fantasies posted on an erotic website under a fake name," Collyer elaborated with a grin.

"Please don't tell anyone," Danny begged, his eyes getting misty.

"Don't worry about that, kid. We're not blackmailing you," Jack said. "How you get off is none of our damn business. Though they are kind of kinky. We're just saying that we know you're a good writer. You can tweak the reports to look like whatever you want."

Danny knew that was true. But cheating? Though he didn't like the idea, he doubted his new friends would take no for an answer.

"Haven't we been good to you?" Jack hinted. "We let you sit at our table during lunch last week. And the week before."

"Didn't we find you a great seat at the football game? Eight rows up on the 50-yard line," Simon chimed in. "You had fun, didn't you? We heard Cindy Connors caught you smiling."

"Yes, it was exciting," Danny confessed.

"And we introduced you to those pretty Theta sorority girls, though you fumbled that ball like an amateur," Collyer mentioned with a smirk.

"It's hard when all of the girls are taller than me," Danny responded.

"A real guy doesn't care how tall they are, as long as he gets them in bed," Simon replied with a laugh.

"Dan, we would appreciate this," Jack said more sincerely. And just as firmly

"I'll try," Danny reluctantly agreed. They sat down, spreading out their notes.

"This is a list of the books," Collyer said. "Have you read any of them?"

Danny scanned down the page, grimacing.

"I don't understand why literature professors have no imagination when it comes to literature," Danny complained. "Canterbury Tales. Moby Dick. Wuthering Heights. Boring and outdated, and yes, I've read them. Did you guys read any of these books?"

"Yes, we read The Great Gatsby. It's about a rich guy who gets shot," Jack said. "And Slaughterhouse 5, which is really weird. That doesn't mean we can explain them. We're giving you our notes."

Danny scooped up the dozen or so handwritten pages, taking a brief glance. To his surprise, there was plenty to work with. The guys weren't quite so stupid as they looked.

"When you're done with the reports, you'll need to email the files to my computer," Jack instructed. "We should have printed copies, too. Use the copy room in the basement."

"You should review them in case changes are needed," Danny warned.

"We're having a big party at the Alpha Mega house tonight. The Theta girls are going to be there. We won't get a chance to review anything until late, but we need to have them."

"They will be on time," Danny promised.

"We need to be sure you'll stay here and finish our reports," Collyer insisted.

"I will. I told you I would," Danny replied.

"We need to be sure," Collyer pressed.

"One of you can stay and watch me," Danny suggested.

"And miss the party? That's not going to happen," Simon answered.

"I'll do them as fast as I can," Danny swore.

"No, we don't want you to hurry. They need to be good," Jack said. "We have another plan. It will reassure us and help you focus."

"What's that?" Danny asked.

"Take off your clothes," Jack replied.

"My clothes?" Danny sputtered.

"You won't leave the library without your clothes," Jack said, having it thought out.

"Someone will see me. No one has ever seen me without my clothes," Danny protested.

"No one? Not even when you're shagging a girl?" Collyer asked.

"I haven't ... that is ..." Danny mumbled. The guys laughed, nudging each other with their elbows.

"Virgin," he heard Collyer derisively mumble.

"This wing is deserted," Simon insisted. "Only geeks come up here. No one important is going to see you."

"I can't," Danny answered. "I--"

"We can strip you, but that's not what we want. We'd rather this was your own idea," Jack hinted.

"Don't be such a prude. Do you think your body is something special?" Simon questioned.

Having always been the runt, Danny knew his body was nothing special. "Please don't make me," he whimpered.

"Consider it an act of good faith," Collyer pressed.

Danny saw no choice. He had no friends except the three frat boys, and they weren't even friends. But they had been going out of their way to include him in their events lately. He started to strip. The sportscoat went first, then the long-sleeved white shirt and plain blue tie. The shoes, socks, and pants. Soon all he had left was his jockey shorts. Jack was stuffing everything into a duffel bag.

"Come on, the rest of it," Jack urged.

Sighing with humiliation, Danny took off his underwear. Jack snatched them away and zipped the duffel bag shut. He made sure to take Danny's wallet, keys, and backpack. Collyer raised his phone.

"No! No photos!" Danny cried in panic, covering himself.

"You're sitting at the table. No one can see below your waist," Simon said.

"It would be too embarrassing," Danny pleaded, looking like he was going to cry.

"Okay, Dan, don't freak out," Collyer relented, putting the phone away.

"We figure about four hours," Jack guessed, looking at his watch. "It's almost five o'clock now. We'll be back for you at nine."

"The library closes at nine," Danny warned.

"It may close, but it takes an hour to chase everyone out," Simon said. "I worked here for a year. You have until ten, at least."

As the frat brothers turned to leave, Jack leaned back, seeing the little fella's stricken expression.

"Danny, you're a smart guy," Jack whispered. "So think about this. We're not your enemies."

And then Jack was gone, too.

Danny couldn't believe this was happening. He was sitting nude on the third floor of the library with no way to escape. They took his clothes! It was like the stories he read on the internet, though he never imagined it would happen to him. Well, maybe he had imagined it a little.

Clothes or not, he had work to do, returning his attention to the computer. And not just the book reports the frat guys wanted, but half a dozen other projects. His own, several to help struggling students, and one for the college. Midvale Valley had given him a scholarship, needing a math prodigy for their recruiting. Despite a tiny dorm room and no money, he was glad to be here, as far away from Spokane as possible. His family, his high school teachers, and even the friends he'd acquired sought to smother him, thinking him brilliant but unworldly. If he ever wanted to stop being treated like a child, he needed to find his own way

His work was diligent and performed with great speed. He rarely needed to think things out, the equations and presentations falling naturally into place. He did pause to read an ENF story from a favorite writer, finding himself getting hard under the long oak table. The poor victim, a pretty co-ed, had lost her clothes on a bet, was forced to strip naked, and then been locked out of the gym by her best friends. Now she needed to run through crowded downtown streets to get home, encountering all kinds of obstacles. He thought the story hilarious.

"Danny? Is that you?" the pretty girl asked.

He looked up, startled. They were Donna Manning and Sandra Cummings, Theta sisters and members of the cheerleading squad. Danny had met Donna in the cafeteria with Jack and Collyer. She was two inches taller with short auburn hair and deep blue eyes. Her excited expression burst with charisma. Danny found it hard to look at her without blushing.

Sandra was tall at 5'9, with golden-brown hair and a figure that was round in all the right places. He had assisted her on a trigonometry test. Her loose black dress hinted at her abundant assets.

"Hello," Danny replied, scrunching down.

"You're working late again," Donna observed, taking a seat across from him. "I'm sorry our date didn't work out. It's hard when you won't talk."

Danny lowered his head. "I'm sorry, too. You can be a bit overwhelming."

"Me? I'm just a theater arts major. No one special," Donna said. "It's just that you're so shy."

"He doesn't look shy tonight," Sandra said. "What happened to your shirt?"

"It went astray," Danny answered. The women sensed something was wrong. His uncomfortable fidgeting made them curious. They crept up for a closer look.

"Oh, my god, he's naked!" Sandra exclaimed.

Both women went around the table to confirm her guess. Danny curled into a ball on his chair, legs drawn up.

"Danny, why are you naked?" Donna asked, taking the chair next to him. He was having trouble breathing, let alone talk.

"This is so cute!" Sandra said. "We should take him back to the sorority house and show him off."

"Normally I'd say you're right, but Danny is so introverted. Have you ever been naked like this before?" Donna asked.

"Not in such a public place," Danny confessed, hands covering his lap. "The Alpha Mega guys want help with their homework."

"That sounds like Jack and Collyer," Donna said.

"We appreciate your situation, but you know we need to have fun with this, don't you?" Sandra said, taking out her phone.

"Why me?" Danny asked.

"Come on, you're a guy left naked in the library. We can't let this pass," Sandra replied.

"I'm not a guy. I'm the school math nerd," Danny said. "A skinny nothing. Why would anyone care about me?"

The women paused, their smirking disappearing. They leaned together, whispering. It went on longer than Danny expected.

"Give us some photos and we'll go away," Donna said.

"Photos?" Danny moaned.

"Now! Stand up and show us what you've got!" Sandra demanded so loud that Danny was afraid it would attract attention. Not that he saw anyone else nearby. He stood up, covering himself.

"Drop the hands," Sandra ordered.

Danny lowered his hands, nearly crying in shame. Two phones flashed.

"Just in case anyone asks, you've got a decent pecker for your size," Sandra observed.

"Nicely shaped, too. I'm sure you make the girls happy," Donna praised.

"May I please sit down now? I think I'm going to hyperventilate," he requested.

"If you're afraid we'll put them on the internet, don't be," Sandra said. "We won't do that without your permission. The Theta sisters have high standards, and we're very proud of that. We don't go in for petty bullshit."

"Though we will share them with our sisters. You are so delightful," Donna gushed. "If I wasn't afraid of being suspended, I'd fuck you on this table right now."

Danny put a hand to his forehead, wobbled, and feinted. When he recovered a moment later, the girls were kneeling next to him on the carpeted floor with a cup of water.

"We're sorry," Donna said. "We forget how sensitive you are."

"Am I still naked?" he asked, looking down.

"Yes, completely naked," Sandra answered. Danny instantly covered himself, not knowing how much they'd seen.

"We know how embarrassed you are, so we'll take off now," Donna offered, assisting him back into the chair. "I just want you to know, we girls at the Theta house appreciate you helping with our homework. You've tutored just about all of us at one time or another, and you never demand anything back. You don't even hit on us."

"I would never want sex just to help with someone's homework," Danny said, sounding shocked.

"And that makes you adorable," Donna replied. "A babe in the woods. I'm glad to see you loosening up."

"Will you give me something to wear?" he asked.

"And spoil such a perfect prank? That would be a crime," Sandra answered.

The ladies were soon gone, the floor turning quiet again. It was true Danny spent a lot of time in his library loft, better than his depressing dorm room, but it wasn't always so blissfully empty as it was now. His table was often surrounded by eager students seeking help with their studies. Danny found them a distraction, but he never said no. Nor did he make idle chatter. The library was for work. When grateful students asked him personal questions, he rarely responded. He knew they weren't really interested in him, just being polite.

He finished the book reports fairly quickly and sent them to Jack's email account. Nothing about them was particularly complicated. And he always liked reading Vonnegut. He doubted the guys really needed much help. Jack was a psychology major and, from what Danny heard, got good grades. Collyer was an economics major, a field Danny had never studied. Simon was in the P. E. department. The reports weren't exactly what the frat guys were expecting, which couldn't be helped. One problem at a time.

Once his projects for the evening were complete, he signaled the machines downstairs to print copies. About 75 pages. As a believer in hard copy, he did it every day. His research was never going to be wiped out by a computer hack.

Danny wondered how this was going to work. He needed to go from the 3rd floor to the basement hallway. He wasn't worried about anyone stealing his books. He left his stuff on the table all the time and never had problems. No one he knew was interested in interdimensional physics theory.

The rear staircase seemed best. He didn't want to be caught in the elevator naked. Exposure with people he already knew had been moderate so far. Frightening, but not terrifying. With strangers in such an enclosed place, who knew what kind of fun they would want?

The hardest part was getting up from the table. It covered him. Most of him. Once he was standing and walking across the main floor, he remembered too late that the library had security cameras. Nothing he could do about that now.

The emergency door was a little stubborn but finally opened. He went down three flights of cement stairs surrounded by bare plaster walls and steel railings. The isolated fire escape was silent but for the sound of his bare feet on the steps. For a moment, he felt like he was naked in a strange alien fortress. Trapped. Helpless. A prisoner subject to someone else's control. It took effort to suppress his arousal. Could he take a moment to ...? No, he couldn't risk getting caught doing that. Not in the stairwell.

The library basement was a maze of old corridors, storage areas, shuttered rooms, and a few offices. It felt strange to have a tile floor under his toes instead of carpeting. He paused at the exit before stepping out into the empty hall. And then he heard an uncomfortable sound as the door closed behind him. It had locked! A sign warned of security procedures after the basement was officially closed for the night. He pulled on the handle anyway, hoping he was wrong. He wasn't. If the basement stairs were off-limits now, only elevators remained. He only knew of one. The elevator that went to the main lobby.

Before worrying about that, he needed to retrieve his reports. But when Danny reached the copy room, he discovered a new problem. The reports were there on the machine, visible through the office's long windows, but the door was closed. And it was locked.

"Damn," he whispered, not seeing anyone on duty. He wondered if there was another way in, going back and forth along the window. And then he was interrupted.

"Danny, is that you?" he heard a woman's voice ask.

"Yes, Mrs. Brubaker," Danny replied, spinning around with hands over his privates. She was a trim 55-year-old librarian in a simple brown dress, her brunette hair up in a bun. Reading glasses rested on the tip of her nose.

"This is a surprise. Why are you running around stark naked in the basement?" she asked.

"I was trying to get copies from the copy room."

"That's very dedicated of you, but most students manage to get copies without taking off their clothes."

"Yes, ma'am," he acknowledged.

"Is this an exhibitionist thing? I've heard rumors."

"It's sort of an accident."

"Well, young man, as awkward as this may be, I'm glad to see you finally getting out of your shell. You spend too much time among books."

"I talk to people," he protested.

"But you don't socialize," she replied. "Everything with you is a project with a goal. There's more to life than academic achievement."

"Academic achievement is important," Danny insisted. "I have been helping many students with their studies."

"Female students?"

"Yes, of course. Most of them are females."

"How many have you slept with?" she asked.

"Mrs. Brubaker!" he shouted. She laughed, seeing him more red-faced than before.

"I think I've made my point," she smugly concluded. "And now that we are on such intimate terms, you may call me Sylvia."

"Thank you, Sylvia. Do you have something I can wear?" he asked.

"Oh, dear, now that you're having such a wonderful adventure, I'm not going to ruin it. Are those your copies there? On machine B?"

"Yes, Mrs. Brubaker. Sylvia."

Danny was looking through the glass window. The room held posters, banners, and cardboard signs. Things he could wrap around his waist. The librarian saw what he was staring at and smiled.

"I won't be opening that door for you," she decided. "Your copies will be at the front desk in the lobby when you're ready to leave."

"But--"

"No buts, Danny. Now get back upstairs, we'll be closing soon."

"The stairs are locked," he explained. "And the lobby will be crowded at this hour."

"I have a solution for that," Sylvia said, sending a text message.

Moving away from the main elevator, Sylvia took him down the hall to the far side of the old building, using a key. The service elevator lit up. She took out her phone.

"Please, no pictures," he begged, hunching over. It felt so embarrassing, standing in a basement hallway with absolutely nothing to cover himself. And this professional woman, who he saw nearly every day, looking at him with such joy.

"I just want a shot of your tush, honey. Turnaround so I won't get your face."

Danny turned, hearing the camera click. And click again.

"Shift a little to your right, dear. And straighten up. I want clear photos of that tight butt. And your legs. You have very muscular calf muscles."

Danny obeyed, doing different poses. Keeping his head down.

"Okay, honey, you can turnaround now," she finished. But when he turned, there was one last click. She got everything, from his face to his feet. Danny howled. Sylvia chuckled.

"Don't worry, Danny, it's not going on the internet," she promised. "Though I may share it with my girlfriends. You're very cute."

The elevator opened and Danny jumped inside. Having Sylvia praise his body was generous, but he knew it wasn't true. He was a skinny runt and always would be. A hairless little monkey. At least he didn't have pale skin. Running in the mornings gave him a little bit of color.

He wanted to go to the 3rd floor. Hopefully the guys would be back with his clothes. But the elevator only went up one floor, and it wasn't the lobby. It was the fine arts wing. An atrium filled with marble statues, nude sculptures, and carved limestone benches. The foyer was filled with students.

"Oh, my god," Danny muttered, finding a class in progress. Eight young female artists were sitting on stools drawing an ugly Greek vase. Eyes turned in his direction, surprised. And smiling. Danny frantically pushed the 'close door' button trying to reach another floor, but the car wouldn't budge. And the doors stayed open.

"We were just wondering about a model," Mrs. Diane Parker said, coming forward. "This old vase is so dreary. And now a model shows up out of the blue to rescue us."

Diane was wearing a gray artist's smock streaked by paint and charcoal. Her bleached-blonde hair was in a ponytail. Intelligent gray eyes looked out over a long straight nose. She entered the elevator, took Danny's hand, and led him to a low platform. The ugly vase came down and Danny went up. He instantly went into a protective stance as the women took up their chalk and pencils.

"That's a wonderful pose," Diane congratulated. "So shy and vulnerable. Use more color, ladies. Capture how red his body is flushing."

The women laughed. It wasn't a mean laugh. They did not seem to be mocking him. But they were amused. Anyone who spent time in the library saw the quiet kid in his books who rarely looked up. They also knew he set aside his work to push carts for the older librarians. He would help shelve stacks of returns. And he offered tutoring to anyone who asked. Danny thought nothing of it. The women knew better, having no desire to be unkind.

"Notice the strong lines along his thighs. And the tight butt cheeks," Diane said. "What some short men lack in apparent development is often compensated for with density. You can use shadowing to highlight the musculature."

Though occasionally encouraged to drop his hands, Danny declined to display more than necessary. Except when Diane picked up the vase and handed it to him. He instinctively reached out, only to realize it was a trick, immediately returning to a protective pose. Diane offered a gentle grin.

"I'm so glad Sylvia texted me that you were coming," she whispered as Danny continued to hunch on the platform. He had never felt so naked, and strangely, it wasn't as disturbing as he feared. Though it was totally humiliating.

"Please turn a little more," Julia Blake requested, waving her pencil. She was one of the Theta sorority sisters, petite with big boobs. Which was not lost on Danny. He had tutored her for a biology quiz.

"Can't we see more?" Matty Jaimeson complained, tall with curly black hair and big brown eyes. Danny had repaired her bicycle when the chain came off.

"Have mercy, ladies, it's his first time modeling," Diane replied. "We'll see more next time."

Danny glanced over at her, wondering if she was serious.

He had only been posing fifteen minutes when the lights blinked. They were trying to herd students out. The women put their supplies away.

"Thank you, Mr. Carpenter," Diane said, handing him $20. "You added extra excitement to our evening."

The ladies came forward, too, offering appreciation. They wanted to shake hands as Danny used the $20 bill as cover. He thought some of them were taking a little longer than they needed to. Though he could shield his front with his hands, his backside was bare for all to see.

"Will you walk out with us?" Julia asked with a giggle.

"I'm meeting friends on the 3rd floor," Danny answered.

"Oh, we'll go with you," Matty offered. "All of us. Won't we, girls?"

"Yes, let's all go," several responded. Danny assumed they were joking.

"Thank you, but that's okay. Would anyone have something for me to wear?" he requested.

There was a quiet pause, and then the women laughed at such a silly idea and departed. Danny still had nothing to cover himself with, not even a blank canvas. He sighed and headed for the staircase. Diane stopped him.

"I would like you back for a full session," she suggested. "It pays $150."

For a freshman on a scholarship, $150 was a lot of money. And they had already seen him naked.

"I can't be what you're looking for in a model," Danny answered.

"It's true you're shorter than our usual subjects, but you're well-proportioned. For a notorious bookworm, I don't see any fat on you. You must get lots of dates."

Danny blushed, shuffling his feet. "Not really," he mumbled.

"Have you ever dated?" she asked.

"I had female friends in high school. I kissed Mary Lupus while playing spin the bottle," he boasted.

"Were you naked when you kissed her?"

"Gosh, no!" he replied, covering up even more.

"Danny, you need to get out. This is a good start, but socializing takes time and practice. Model for me. Let's get you out of your comfort zone."

Danny laughed. It was warm and gracious. There was a shy twinkle in his brown eyes that she found intriguing.

"Mrs. Parker, I don't know how I can get farther out of my comfort zone than this," he replied, spreading his hands and showing everything. Which he covered up just as fast.

"I think you're doing great," Diane encouraged, heading for the lobby.

Danny found the backstairs, running up to the 3rd floor. His books and papers were still there. The guys' notes were gone. And his clothes were still missing. Instead of his backpack, he found a clear plastic grocery bag. He considered cutting holes in the bag to make pants, but he wouldn't be able to carry his books and hold the bag up at the same time. And he would look ridiculous. Better to be naked than a joke.

He filled the bag, finding it heavy, and shutdown the computer. And then he debated how to get back to his tiny dorm room on the far side of campus.

He wondered if the frat guys were mad at him. Is that why they had left him naked in the library? He had not written their reports for them. He refused to cheat. He had sent step-by-step outlines that would only take twenty minutes to complete. They were very good, but not what they had demanded. Yes, Danny decided, this is their way of getting back at me.

On his way to the stairs, he ran into Saul, the ancient janitor. He was pushing a water bucket and a mop.

"Still naked?" he asked in his old Southern drawl.

"Yes. Hey, what do you mean, 'still' naked?"

"Everyone is talking about it," Saul answered with a grin. "Heard no one is going to give you clothes. Something about an exhibitionist journey, whatever the hell that means."

"It's not a journey. I don't think. I'm just being pranked."

"Didn't know you were so popular."

"Me? Popular? I don't have a friend in this entire school."

"I don't know about that," Saul advised, scratching his gray whiskers. "I've been here thirty years and never seen an unpopular kid get pranked like this. No one thinks they're worth the effort."

"Can I get something to wear?" Danny asked. "Maybe a trash bag?"

"Sorry, son. Ain't gonna give you nothin'," he answered. "It ain't my place to interfere. And to tell the truth, I don't think you're doin' so bad. If it was me running around naked like this, I'd have gone off the deep end by now. You look calm. Calmer than I've ever seen you."

"Thanks, Mr. Lincoln," Danny said, though he doubted that was true. His heart was in his throat. Terrified of the next confrontation. Despite very strong knees, they felt weak. And now his situation was known all over campus. No one was going to give him clothes. It was so embarrassing.

Hefting the grocery bag, he snuck down the main staircase, staying close to the railing, unhappy with what he saw on reaching the lobby. The last of the students were being herded out while Sylvia and the security guard watched the door. There were twenty or so young scholars lingering around the reception desk chattering like magpies. Danny tried to hang back until everyone was gone, crawling forward. He tried to stay quiet, nearly holding his breath. It was taking forever.

"Why are you crouching behind a desk?" the art professor asked, catching him by surprise.

Danny looked up to discover Diane standing behind him with an unobstructed view of his butt.

"There are too many people," he whispered, as if it should be obvious.

"No one is paying attention to you," she assured him, giving a push.

"They are taking too long to leave," he grumbled.

"Some people take time to visit with each other. They make plans to get together," Diane replied. "Which you would know if you gave it a try. Now out you go."

She gave him another nudge. Danny saw no choice, hesitantly creeping into the lobby along the edge hoping not to be noticed. He paused from time to time behind a pillar or a bookrack, checking to see if anyone was looking in his direction. He managed to get halfway to the door.

"Oh, Danny!" Diane suddenly shouted from the foot of the staircase. "Thanks again for helping with my art class!"

Now everyone was looking around. And they found him.

"Hi Danny!" Julie called, the golden-haired cheerleader rushing up with a big smile.

"Look! It's Danny Carpenter!" Matty exclaimed.

Danny was glad to be carrying the grocery bag as he found himself surrounded. Though made of clear plastic, the books still provided some cover.

"Thanks for your help last week," Mindy Roberts said, a slender blue-eyed blonde.

"Help?" Danny questioned.

"You tutored me for that physics exam. I got an A," Mindy explained.

"It was nothing," Danny dismissed, having found the task simple.

"It was not nothing. You put your own work away and spent two hours with me. That's not nothing," Mindy insisted.

"He helped me, too," Julie remembered. "I was going to be suspended from cheer squad if I didn't get a B on my chemistry test. Danny wrote the formulas for me, and they actually made sense."

"We just drew him naked in art class," Cindy Connors mentioned. "Mrs. Parker says he'll be posing again next week. And not allowed to cover up so much."

"I didn't promise that," Danny protested.

"Oh, I want to take that class!" Mindy announced.

"Me, too. Where do I sign up?" Janet Franklin asked.

"I'm taking names," Diane replied, waving a clipboard. "Be sure to tell all of your friends."

Danny took a look toward the front doors with a sigh. They had never looked so far away.

* * * * * *

Will Danny escape the library? What will happen if he does?

To be continued for one more chapter.